Buttress loader for surgical staplers

Abstract

Various buttress loaders are provided for cleaning and affixing one or more buttresses to an end effector of a surgical stapler. In an exemplary embodiment, a buttress loader can be configured to clean at least one tissue-engaging surface of an end effector on a surgical stapler, and the buttress loader can be configured to attach a buttress to the at least one tissue-engaging surface of the end effector. For example, a buttress loader can have two slots configured to receive the end effector therein. One slot can be configured to clean the end effector, and the other slot can be configured to attach the buttress to the end effector.

What is claimed: 
     
       1. A buttress loader for use with a surgical stapler, comprising:
 a housing having
 a cleaning slot configured to seat a jaw of an end effector on a surgical stapler, the cleaning slot having a cleaning material and a cleaning solution disposed therein and configured to clean a tissue-facing surface of the jaw, and 
 a loading slot configured to seat the jaw, the loading slot having a buttress disposed therein, the buttress being formed from a different material than the cleaning material, the loading slot being configured to release the buttress when the jaw is seated therein to thereby apply the buttress to the tissue-facing surface of the jaw; 
 
 wherein each of the cleaning and loading slots comprises an opening extending vertically entirely through the housing that is defined on three sides by the housing. 
 
     
     
       2. The buttress loader of  claim 1 , wherein the jaw comprises a first jaw and the end effector includes a second jaw, and wherein the cleaning slot is configured to seat the first and second jaws with the cleaning material disposed therebetween, and the loading slot is configured to seat the first and second jaws with the buttress disposed therebetween. 
     
     
       3. The buttress loader of  claim 1 , further comprising a cover removably matable to the housing and extending over at least one outward facing surface of the buttress in the loading slot,
 wherein the buttress includes an adhesive on the outward facing surface thereof such that the buttress is configured to adhere to the jaw when the jaw is seated in the loading slot. 
 
     
     
       4. The buttress loader of  claim 3 , wherein the cover is configured to be automatically moved out of the loading slot and into a cavity of the housing when the jaw is inserted into the cleaning slot. 
     
     
       5. The buttress loader of  claim 1 , wherein the cleaning and loading slots have angled fingers extending into each of the slots configured to secure the cleaning material and the buttress in the cleaning and loading slots. 
     
     
       6. The buttress loader of  claim 1 , further comprising a buttress support extending from an external wall of the housing and at least partially into the loading slot such that the buttress is at least partially supported thereby. 
     
     
       7. The buttress loader of  claim 1 , wherein each of the openings of the cleaning and loading slots is larger than the tissue-contacting surface of the jaw of the end effector. 
     
     
       8. The buttress loader of  claim 3 , wherein the cover has upper and lower horizontal sidewalls and a shorter vertical sidewall extending therebetween such that the cover has a U shaped cross section, the cover being configured to receive the buttress between the upper and lower horizontal sidewalls. 
     
     
       9. The buttress loader of  claim 4 , wherein the cavity of the housing configured to receive the cover is positioned between the cleaning and loading slots. 
     
     
       10. The buttress loader of  claim 4 , wherein the cover is spring-biased to be movable into the cavity of the housing. 
     
     
       11. The buttress loader of  claim 4 , further comprising a lever movably extending within an interior of the housing between the cleaning and loading slots, a first end of the lever being disposed in contact with the cleaning material in the cleaning slot, a second end of the lever being disposed in contact with the cover, the lever being configured to assist in moving the cover into the cavity of the housing when the jaw is inserted into the cleaning slot. 
     
     
       12. A buttress loader for use with a surgical stapler, comprising:
 a housing with a top surface and a bottom surface having
 a cleaning slot configured to seat a jaw of an end effector on a surgical stapler, the cleaning slot having a cleaning material and a cleaning soluition disposed therein and configured to clean a tissue-facing surface of the jaw, and 
 a loading slot configured to seat the jaw, the loading slot having a buttress disposed therein, the buttress being formed from a different material than the cleaning material, the loading slot being configured to release the buttress when the jaw is seated therein to thereby apply the buttress to the tissue-facing surface of the jaw, 
 
 wherein the cleaning and loading slots are longitudinal openings that extend entirely through the housing from the top surface to the bottom surface and that are defined by the housing. 
 
     
     
       13. The buttress loader of  claim 12 , wherein each of the cleaning and loading slots has a first open end on one side of the housing and a second closed end on an opposite side of the housing. 
     
     
       14. The buttress loader of  claim 12 , wherein the jaw comprises a first jaw and the end effector includes a second jaw, and wherein the cleaning slot is configured to seat the first and second jaws with the cleaning material disposed therebetween, and the loading slot is configured to seat the first and second jaws with the buttress disposed therebetween. 
     
     
       15. The buttress loader of  claim 12 , wherein the housing has angled fingers extending into each of the cleaning and loading slots configured to secure the cleaning material and the buttress in the cleaning and loading slots. 
     
     
       16. The buttress loader of  claim 12 , further comprising a buttress support extending from an external wall of the housing and at least partially into the loading slot such that the buttress is at least partially supported thereby. 
     
     
       17. The buttress loader of  claim 12 , further comprising a cover extending over at least one outward facing surface of the buttress, the outward facing surface of the buttress having an adhesive thereon such that the buttress is configured to adhere to the jaw when the jaw is seated in the loading slot. 
     
     
       18. The buttress loader of  claim 17 , wherein the cover is configured to be automatically moved out of the loading slot and into a cavity of the housing when the jaw is inserted into the cleaning slot. 
     
     
       19. The buttress loader of  claim 17 , wherein the cover is movable between a first covering configuration in which the cover extends over the at least one outward facing surface of the buttress and a second retracted configuration in which the cover is received entirely within a cavity of the housing to expose the at least one outward facing surface of the buttress to the tissue-facing surface of the jaw.